Honeymoon At Bag End
by Silver Shroud
Summary: It's Sam and Rose's big day - and the night promises to be even sweeter.
1. Preparations Are Made

Disclaimer: The Lord of the Rings belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien, as do all the characters that are featured in this piece of fanfiction.

Warning: This fic will contain sexual content in future chapters and is not intended for younger readers. This chapter, however, is rated T for suggestive dialogue. I will change the story's rating to M when the need arises (pun _definitely_ intended). Enjoy!

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Honeymoon at Bag End

Chapter 1: Preparations Are Made

Samwise Gamgee had seen and done things that ordinary minds would balk at, things that would reduce even the most courageous to a withering heap of frayed nerves. He had walked roads darker than most folk could even begin to imagine, faced down mortal dangers that might have robbed him of his life dozens of times over, conquered more evils than even some of the most renowned heroes in the history of Middle-earth. After all that he had endured, one would have hardly believed that anything could rattle Sam now that he was returned to his beloved Shire and the terrible Quest had ended in success. Indeed, Sam himself had believed up to this point that no fear could have compared to the terror of Mordor, or of the Black Riders, or a giant spider bent on making him for a meal for that matter. But today, he was proven quite wrong, for today was the day that Sam was to be wedded to Rose Cotton.

Of course, this fear was of quite a different kind than the ones he had previously faced (although perhaps there are some who would sooner do battle with an entire legion of orcs than be tied down by the lasting bonds of matrimony) but it was just as real as any of his other trials despite that.

Standing in front of the full-length mirror, Sam frowned discontentedly at the image that greeted him, muttering to himself: "Oh, it's all wrong. No good, no good at all," and fidgeting irritably with his jacket which did not seem to hang quite right on his frame no matter how much he fussed and fretted over it.

"What's no good?" a voice over his shoulder called out cheerfully. In strolled Frodo, outfitted very finely for the day's ceremony. There was a curl of suppressed amusement tugging at the corners of his mouth as he saw the look of consternation on Sam's face reflected in the looking-glass.

"Oh, Mr. Frodo, I didn't hear you come in," said Sam, turning toward him. "Don't mind about me, I was just thinking out loud as you might say. It's just... well, it just seems to me that the tailor would know a thing or two about taking measurements and suchlike, it being his business to know. But as luck seems to have it, I got the one fellow who'd never picked up needle nor thread afore today!"

"Whatever are you talking about, you silly old hobbit?" Frodo laughed, patting him companionably on the shoulder. "You are only letting your nerves get the better of you. Why, it's gotten to the point where you can no longer see clearly! Believe me when I tell you that it is all in your head - your suit is just as fine as any bride-groom has ever worn."

"Oh, I suppose you're right. I had no call to take it out on those what made it. And really, I reckon it's not the suit I'm so much worried about as the hobbit that's inside of it," Sam said disconsolately.

"You are talking nonsense, Sam, for the hobbit inside that jacket is worth more than all the treasures in the world, and your Rose is well aware of it," said Frodo sincerely.

"Thank you, sir," said Sam, holding his emotions in check as best as he could manage. He cleared his throat and smoothed down his jacket-front one last time. "But you know, if I'm to marry the loveliest lass in all the Shire, I want to look at least halfway worthy of her."

"Trust me when I say that Rose will suffer no shame to take your arm when you meet her on the aisle today. But we had better be getting on soon, for you would not want to keep your bride waiting on her wedding day."

"He certainly should not!" a voice from the entrance hall answered.

"And we're here to see that Rose doesn't think you tried to give her the slip at the last moment!" a second voice put in.

"You shouldn't joke about such things, Mr. Pippin," said Sam sternly as he and Merry came into view. "As if I'd ever for a moment think of backing out now! I made up my mind long ago and there's no changing it. But we'd better be off soon or else Rose might start seeing sense and change _hers_ if we wait around much longer."

"Never mind Pip, Sam, he is only teasing," said Merry. "Though why he insists on always making a nuisance of himself, I'll never know." Pippin crossed his arms in mock indignation and Merry smiled back wryly at him in answer. "We all know that you are positively head over heels about the lovely Miss Cotton - which is why we are here to whisk you away to your intended," he finished with an elegant bow.

"Right!" Pippin chimed in. "Bill is all saddled and ready to take you to your lady when you are ready, and I shouldn't dally if I were you!"

"Goodness knows she's waited long enough for me as it is," Sam said half to himself.

"And she will no doubt be very eager to have you," Merry said with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"Speaking of which, there is something else I meant to tell you to that effect," said Frodo. "You and your new wife will doubtless be wanting some privacy once the day is out and the festivities are over, and with that in mind, I have arranged to stay in Buckland with Merry for a fortnight."

"What, and leave Bag End, your right home? I wouldn't think of asking such a thing of you, Mr. Frodo!" Sam protested.

"I know you wouldn't, which is why I am _choosing_ to go of my own accord. And you mustn't try and argue with me, for it will do you no good whatsoever! I shall be in very good company while I am away, and I insist that you and Rose enjoy your honeymoon without having me hovering about and getting in your way."

"You know that you could never be a bother to me, and I'm sure that Rose feels just the same way. But since you're dead set on it, I'll not say another word against it. And I thank you, sir. It means a lot to me that you'd be willing to cart yourself off for me and Rose's sake."

"I should think that he was doing it more for his own benefit than yours, Sam" Pippin said. "Poor Frodo would not sleep a wink with two newlyweds in the house, after all."

"You mind your tongue, Master Pippin," said Sam, reddening as much with indignation as with embarrassment, "or I shall mind it for you; and I'll not be gentle about it neither!"

"All right, that is quite enough!" Frodo stepped in. "And not another word from you, Pippin, unless you fancy attending this wedding with your ears boxed. We have lingered here longer than we should have already."

"Quite right!" Merry agreed. "Come, Master Gamgee, your steed awaits!"


	2. Wedding Day

Chapter 2: Wedding Day

The four hobbits rode out in the direction of the Party Field with Sam at their head, who looked very dashing astride his faithful pony and wore a serious expression on his face. He could hardly believe that the day had finally arrived when he would join himself to his beautiful Rose forever, just as he had so often dreamt. Though she might not have known it, it was the memory of her sweet, happy face that had seen him through some of his darkest moments, and the wish that he might return to her had done so much to keep his own hopes alive, even when it had seemed like folly to hope. There were nights when he would cast himself down upon the cold, dusty earth and a vision of her would come to him like a blessing from above, and he fancied that he could hear her girlish laughter and the sound of distant music as she danced freely under the sun. For that moment, he would forget all of his troubles and his pains, forget the coldness that gripped him and the bleakness that surrounded him and revel in the bliss of her graceful movements. Now, he would no longer have to settle for memories or dreams, for she would be his to have and to hold. It was really happening.

As they neared the Field, Sam saw a great gathering of hobbits all assembled on the lawn: friends, relations, in-laws, and quite probably a few stragglers who had not been invited but had decided to turn up anyway. His mind was so distracted that he could have hardly put a name to many of the faces if he had wanted to, and he rode by in silence, nodding his head occasionally at the guests who hailed him.

Sam himself had seen to the floral arrangements, and he had not come up short. Though he had had his work cut out for him after the devastation that Sharkey and the Ruffians had wrought upon the Shire, Sam had laboured with almost single-minded preoccupation to ensure that all that was green and growing was restored to its former splendour. For this day, he had hand selected the finest flowers from his own gardens, and they were breathtaking to behold. Most numerous of all were the pink and white roses, his wife's namesake, their pale petals endowed with a softness and a femininity that so much reminded him of his beloved.

At the end of the long aisle that his wife was to walk down was an arched trellis, laced with twisting green vines and dotted with little pink flowers. Sam dismounted, taking in everything through eyes that were hazy with wonder and disbelief.

"Ready, Sam?" Frodo said at his side, though Sam had not heard him approach.

Sam took one last, long look at the field, and let out a shaky breath.

"I'm ready, Mr. Frodo," he said.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Sam took his place underneath the trellis as the crowd looked on, Frodo standing sedately off to one side. A hush fell over the audience as the music started up with a high singing of flutes and an orchestra of violin strings. The procession began as the bridesmaids and the groomsmen came in their turn, among them Sam's own brothers and sisters and the Cotton lads. Next, the flower girl walked primly down the aisle, scattering petals on the ground, her curls bouncing springily as she went. Then, the music seemed to fade to gradual silence, and there was a palpable air of expectancy as a figure in white appeared at the foot of the aisle. The musicians started afresh, and Sam's breath caught in his throat as he looked upon his bride.

Her flowing white skirts brushed lightly across the flower-strewn carpet as she came towards him, making a faint whispering sound that could barely be heard over the band playing. Her fitted bodice all done up with ribbons and lace conformed to her soft curves like a second skin, the neckline revealing just enough of her décolletage to show off the fairness of her bosom. On her head was a wreath of flowers and in her hands a bouquet, and a joyful smile was on her face.

Sam swallowed back the lump in his throat as tears sprang to his eyes and slid slowly down his face. He brushed them away with his thumb and did his best to compose himself as Rose drew nearer with Farmer Cotton at her arm. At last, she met him, and the old farmer placed his daughter's hand in Sam's.

"Take care of her, lad," he said in an undertone and took his place in the crowd.

Sam clasped Rose's hand between his own, tears still falling in spite of himself, and gazed into her eyes. Her smile widened even as she shed tears of her own, and a small silvery laugh that was an expression of purest happiness came from her lips. And so, Rose and Sam were married in the springtime underneath blue skies and golden sun, and all agreed that it was one of the loveliest and perhaps the most moving union of two hearts that they had ever witnessed.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

That evening was filled with much merriment and dancing and, of course, feasting as hobbit custom demanded. Indeed, Frodo himself had overseen many of the details that had gone into the reception with special diligence, and he had pulled out all the stops for the momentous day. This had not been lost on Sam, and it only added to his overwhelming gladness and made him feel twice as blessed, if that was possible.

But the new couple in truth only had eyes for one another and could scarcely be induced to release their mutual gaze. The two were showered with many congratulations on all sides, the ladies preening over Rose and giggling excitedly for her, some of the fellows shaking Sam's hand and slapping him jovially on the back.

"Well done, Sam old boy!" Merry said, raising his glass when Sam was alone, Rose having been shepherded away by some of the lasses.

"How _did_ you manage it, Sam?" Pippin said, throwing back a tumbler of his own.

"Perhaps if you thought less of ale and learned a thing or two about minding your manners, you'd be better off yourself, young Took," Sam retorted with a sarcastic smile. Pippin's eyes darted up from above the rim of his cup, and he wiped away the foam on his upper lip somewhat guiltily.

"Congratulations, my dear Sam," Frodo said, shooting Pippin a quick, quizzical look. "I cannot think of two hobbits better suited for one another. You are very lucky to have each other."

"I know it, sir, and I'm luckier still to have you with me through it all and to share this day with us - and that goes for all of you. Even you, Pip." he said.

"And I am sure that I speak for all of us when I say that we are overjoyed to have been a part of it," said Frodo. "But, the hour is growing late and I expect you are growing tired of sharing your Rose with us and wish to have her to yourself."

"I suppose it is getting late" said Sam, shifting awkwardly, purposely sidestepping Frodo's subtle insinuation. "You're sure you'll be all right leaving though? It don't seem right that you should have to go off on my account."

"Of course I will be all right! This is _your_ night, Sam, yours and Rose's, and I would not have it any other way."

"Don't worry about Frodo, Sam, I'll be sure to look after him while he is in my keeping," Merry added.

"Yes, yes, and he shall certainly not want for sport when he is in our company, that's certain," Pippin agreed. _And neither will Rose, I'll bet_ Pippin thought, but decided against saying it aloud. "Now _you_ go and look after _your_ lady, you old dog," he said with a playful nudge.

Ordinarily Sam would have countered with some vague threat to fetch Pippin a sound blow for his impertinence, but a strange anxiety came over him, an anxiety that was yet laced with a keen expectancy, and he simply shook his head at the younger hobbit in exasperation.

"Go on, Sam, go and fetch your wife and I will deal with the rest," said Frodo, shooting a glance at the loitering hobbits. "I have already packed and laden the cart with what few belongings I will be bringing. You go on ahead."

"All right, Mr. Frodo, me and Rose will say our good-byes to the last of 'em," he said and shambled off.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

When the gathering had finally dispersed and the night had grown quiet again, Sam took Rose by the hand as they turned their backs to the Party Field and made for the green door of Bag End.

"Hold on, Rosie love, I'll not have any wife of mine trudging through the fields on her wedding night," he said, and swept her off of her feet in one deft motion.

"Sam!" she laughed, her heart all aflutter in her chest. "Goodness gracious, but you _are_ a perfect gentlehobbit."

Sam smiled as he turned the doorknob and carried Rose across the threshold.

"Well, here we are," he said, his blood quickening in his veins all of a sudden. "Back home, all to ourselves." He set Rose down carefully on her feet.

"It was very thoughtful of dear Mr. Frodo to have left it to us," Rose smiled.

"Aye, and he knows we're right grateful," Sam said.

"Oh, Sam, today has been the most wonderful day I have ever known," Rose gushed. "And though the waiting was hard, it has all been worth it in the end. I would have waited for as long as it took just to see this day come true."

"Rose..." Sam sighed, touching a hand to the side of her face. She tilted her chin upward as the two of them connected in a deep, loving kiss that spoke of so many years of eager anticipation and ardent yearning. His heartbeat pounded stronger as her lips clung to his - surely she would be able to hear the terrific din that it was raising inside of him. But if she was aware of it, she did not say so, and at last, she released him with eyes that shone with love and desire. He saw the colour rising in her cheeks even in the darkness of the dimly-lit hobbit hole and the way her lips were parted slightly as though she had been rendered breathless. He was intoxicated by the dizzying fervour of her kiss and hungered to press his lips to hers again, to hold her body close to his in a perpetual embrace. But before he could lean in for a second taste, she took him by the hand coyly with a meaningful smile and led him down the halls of Bag End. All at once, he realised she was leading him straight to the bedchamber.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

A/N: Stay tuned folks, things are just beginning to heat up! Be warned, from here on in, this story will have an M rating and will be intended only for mature audiences.


	3. A Promise Fulfilled

A/N: Final warning! This chapter contains strong sexuality and adult themes and is meant for mature readers only! Please do not read if you are offended or made uncomfortable by sexual situations/eroticism. I should note that I have tried to write this chapter as tastefully as I could without compromising any of the hotness. As a last word of advice, some of you may want to run a cold shower after reading!

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Chapter 3: A Promise Fulfilled

Sam walked as though in a trance, depending upon Rose to steer his way, for he felt that at any moment his knees might give way underneath him. He could feel the electricity that was running between them like wildfire and could interpret the signals she was giving off as plain as day. Of course, he knew in a practical sort of way how the night must necessarily culminate - hadn't Pippin dropped enough hints as to that already this day? But now that the time had arrived, he was desperately nervous in a way he could not have anticipated. His mind whizzed and whirred erratically as an array of emotions surged through him, emotions whose like he had never felt before. The blood that travelled in his veins flowed hotter than he could ever remember, yet he felt a trembling, crawly feeling dance across his skin that made his teeth want to chatter. He wondered if Rose was experiencing the same sensations, but the shadows that had gathered in the halls were too deep for him to read her face.

After what seemed an unusually long time, they found themselves standing in the bedroom where a low fire was crackling in the hearth. _That'll be Frodo's doing_, Sam thought to himself in a brief moment of clarity. Rose's hand was still pressed in his, and he suddenly grew concerned that his palms might be sweating in her grasp. She turned to look at him, and drew her eyebrows together slightly.

"Sam dear," she said, now taking his hand in both of hers and holding it against her chest. "You're shaking."

Sam swallowed thickly and managed a crooked half-smile.

"Er, well, I reckon I am," he stammered, running his free hand sheepishly through his curls.

"It's all right, Sam," Rose comforted. "There's naught to be afraid of. It's only me."

"Only?" Sam replied incredulously. "Only? Aye, only the lady of my dreams, only the lass that I've loved as far back as my mind can think to, only..." but Rose silenced his unfinished thought with a passionate kiss that sent tiny thrills all throughout him and got his heartbeat racing faster than before. He felt her arms wrap lovingly around his waist and he cradled her face in his hands, then let them slide down her neck. He felt the satiny fabric of her dress give way as he pushed down the sleeves and exposed her bare shoulders. He pulled back, astonished by his own boldness, and saw the firelight dance across the revealed skin, skin so white it seemed to gleam with an ethereal light that came from within. She looked up at him with her long, curled lashes which shaded her desirous eyes.

"Rosie," Sam said with sincere awe in his voice, "you are so beautiful." He gazed at her with profoundest love, a look that melted her heart and made her wish to reciprocate all that depth of feeling and more so that he might feel as special and as wanted as she did. "How did you ever fall for someone like me?" he asked aloud, wonderingly.

"How could I not?" Rose replied, touching a hand to the side of his face. "What maiden would not consider herself the luckiest in all the Shire to have someone as brave and as kind and as good as you for a husband? And so handsome," she added, her eyes raking over the features of his face. "I think I always knew, even back when we were still wee little things, that you were different from the other lads," she went on. "You had a gentleness about you, a sweetness that you seldom see in lads at such an age. It started out as an innocent fancy, but it grew into something more as I watched you grow and saw the hobbit that you were to become. Oh Sam, I've loved you so long now. So when you left the year before last without so much as a line in the post, I thought...well, I didn't know what to think. I was so worried that you might not come back, that I might not see you again," she said, casting her eyes downward.

"Oh Rose, I know how hard it was, and I hope you can forgive me for all I put you through. I had to go, you understand, but all that is done now. For I'm not going anywhere, not without you. I'm here now, right here with you, and that's where I'll stay always," he said. He pushed back her long tresses that cascaded down her front behind her ear and kissed her uncovered shoulder. His lips moved upward as he blazed a trail of kisses up the side of her neck, each one a spark of delight.

"Oh, that feels lovely," she said breathily. Sam's heart was pumping furiously now as his lips brushed against her earlobe. He saw her chest rise and fall more rapidly and heard her breathing come in quicker in little exhalations of bliss that were but a foretaste of the ecstasy still to come. He threw back his jacket, tugging the sleeves off of his arm impatiently as he lingered on the spot on her neck that she had reacted to most strongly and felt her hands at his shirt buttons. Everything became suddenly heightened as he heard each one being undone by her sure fingers with a hushed popping sound and perceived the fabric being parted like a curtain. He halted his kisses so that she could push the shirt off of his shoulders while his own fumbling fingers went to the intricate lacings of her bodice, but his excitement was so great and his hand so unsteady that he was utterly at a loss.

"My big clumsy fingers aren't made for these delicate things," he said by way of an apology. Rose gave a breathless laugh that was quite obviously tinged with the heat of her arousal.

"It'll get easier with practice," she said. "Let me give you a hand with that," she said, and assisting him with a few swift maneuvers, was unlaced and unclasped. All that was left was to remove the loose garment, and that she left to Sam. Carefully, he lifted it above her head and stood back, soaking in every detail of her. After a moment under his admiration, she stepped out of her skirts and he was overcome. Her took her into his arms, kissing her passionately on the mouth as the two of them sunk onto the bed. He unloosed his belt as her hands flew to the waistband of his breeches, pulling them down and off. He kicked at his pant-legs and felt himself being guided by a carnal instinct that he did not know that he possessed. His calloused hands lost all of their roughness as he touched his new bride, his awkwardness and uncertainty all but forgotten as he explored the curves of her body with his roaming palms. He kissed the line of her jaw, moving down to the hollow of her throat and the ridge of her collarbone. He paused just above the soft mounds of her breasts and, with an air of decision, moved his moist lips around their fullness and taking one of her nipples into his mouth, bathed it in the delicious wetness of his tongue. A groan of rapture sounded through her as he kissed and sucked luxuriously on the sensitive tip of her breast, then moved on to the one that had not been attended to, and the light of the fire glistened off the shining wet marks that his tongue traced on her flesh.

There was now such a maddening throbbing inside of them both begging to be satiated that the moment could not be delayed for much longer. Responding to the call, Rose wrapped her legs around Sam's back, crossing her feet lightly at the ankles and tilted her hips upward to receive him in full, opening for him like a blossoming flower. He moved in tentatively at first, and finding the warm, wet space that was aching to be filled, he pushed his hips forward and a small whimper escaped her lips.

"I'm not hurting you am I?" he said suddenly, bracing his arms and holding himself upright on the mattress.

"No, no, please, don't stop," she cried.

Emboldened by her reply he pressed his hips against hers as she arched her back, moaning in the throes of this unknown joy. He held himself inside her for a moment of exquisite pleasure as their bodies formed a tight seal. He felt the pink buds of her breasts sink into his chest, and she felt the soft tufts of hair and the work-hardened muscles meld into her as he pulled out slowly, agonisingly. She gasped at his slow withdrawal and, tightening her legs around his back, forced him forward again before he could pull out all the way. He slid in again, relishing in the glorious tenderness of her flesh, of the energy exploding within and between them. The ease and smoothness of his entry was such that the two began to move in easy rhythm with one another, the undulations of their hips perfectly synchronized. He could hear her breath quickening and realised his own was coming in heavier, more raggedly. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, kissing the spot behind her ear as her hips rocked beneath his.

He went slowly, never hurrying, holding back his release and prolonging their lovemaking to euphoric lengths. She pressed her hands flat against his back and clutched at his shoulder blades as he entered and reentered, over and over, so many times she could barely believe how long the moment of climax could be postponed. Oh, that such pleasure should be so boundless, so freely given! Every moment of her life before this night seemed only a prelude to this hour when her long-dormant passion was to be awoken, and she wanted to savour each and every minute of this blissful unification. She gripped his back tighter, sometimes placing an occasional tiny kiss on the broad expanse of his shoulder, sometimes raising her head to lock lips with him even as he moved inside of her.

Sam's moans drifted in her ear, matching her own, and she felt a certain urgency mounting in her and in him as well, for the two of them were of one body. He moved a bit faster, but only slightly, then a little faster still. Then, somehow reining himself in, he slowed and applied a firm, focussed pressure on her hips. His thrusts grew deeper, more purposeful. Their lovers' cries grew louder as he plunged ardently into her, her back curved into him as he pushed further and further than he had before, supporting the small of her back with a hand that drew her closer and allowed him to delve more deeply. At last, there was a moment of sublime tension as their bodies went suddenly rigid. Little did either of them know, Sam would lay a seed that night more precious even than the silver nut that he had planted in the Party Field that had been Galadriel's gift to him, and from it would grow a child more beautiful than the Shire had ever seen.

Their union consummated, Sam kissed Rose's forehead when he had given all of himself and collapsed next to her, their breath still coming in little hitches. The fire had long since died in the hearth, enveloping the room in a sea of silent and comfortable blackness. Sam pulled the covers up around them both all the way up to their shoulders and gathered Rose up in his arms, kissing her hair with its heady, fragrant scent. He cradled her body with his, one hand lying tranquilly in the dip of her waist, the other draped gently over her bosom.

"Are you all right, love?" he asked softly.

"Better than all right," she purred, a sense of utter fulfillment taking hold of her. "I cannot remember a time when I have ever been so happy."

"I love you, Rosie dear, I love you more than I could ever find words to say," said Sam, stroking her hair and planting another kiss on the back of her head.

"And I love you, Samwise Gamgee," she echoed, snuggling more deeply into him, delighting in the quiet strength of his arms, the softness of his middle pillowed against her back. "I am so glad that I waited - for you, my love, were every bit worth the wait."

"I promise, Rosie, that I'll never make you wait again as long as you live, not if I can help it. That's my solemn word, and don't think I'll go forgetting it."

"I am glad, Sam, for I could not bear to be parted from you for long now," she said, then flipped over on her other side to face him so that her lips could meet his. She pressed the length of her body against him and Sam made good on his oath to never again make his bride wait as they made love a second time with only the slanting moonlight to outline their naked and enraptured forms in the drowsy darkness.


End file.
